“Life is like an ice cream cone, you have to lick it one day at a time.” Charles M. Schulz
I love this quote. Its simple truth is straightforward and honest, yet playful. It works well here at Pumphouse Creamery in south Minneapolis.
I’m standing next to owner Barb Zapzalka. She's been making deliciously creative ice cream at her unique “farm-to-frozen” ice cream shop for over 20 years.
With new flavors such as Local Apple Swirl with Oat Crumble and Brother Justice Single Malt Whiskey, plus neighborhood favorites like Lemon Infused Olive Oil & Sea Salt, it's easy to see why locals love this sweet gem at Chicago Avenue and 47th Street.
Here, two fun-loving ladies give me their best smiles as employee Graham Godfrey serves them up a couple of mini scoop ice cream flights.
Barb partners with farms all over Minnesota to bring her customers natural and organic, locally-sourced ingredients. The certified organic heirloom flour she uses from Sunrise Flour Mill in North Branch is just part of the goodness you’ll taste in each bite of her homemade waffle cones.
In 2018, Food and Wine Magazine recognized Pumphouse Creamery as one of the top 25 ice cream spots in the country.
Meanwhile, Barb and I have been covering it all, from ice cream to farm life, to family connections, to life in the big city.
Barb was raised on a farm in central Minnesota (Sobieski), alongside her nine siblings. She’s in the middle of the pack amongst her four sisters and five brothers.
This is where our central Minnesota connection comes in. While I spent the majority of my childhood in Montana, my family moved to Little Falls when I was 14. I graduated from high school with Barb's youngest sister Ann Marie.
After reading a social media post from Ann Marie, touting her sister's success, I made a mental note to stop by Pumphouse Creamery at my earliest convenience. Lucky for me, I had plans to meet friends in the area anyway, so I popped in for a pint of mint chocolate chip and a pint of salty peanut butter chocolate chip. Deee-licious!!
A couple years went by and sure enough, I was in the neighborhood again. This time, I was following up on rumors of a new menu item involving decadent chocolate...
(Photo by Dandelion Chocolate)
Now through March, Barb is offering her customers the unique opportunity to sip on some rich, creamy, delicious drinking chocolate.
Drinking chocolate is a European-style drink where steamed milk and melted chocolate bars are used instead of cocoa powder, which is used in hot cocoa. Plus, it's served at an invitingly warm temperature.
Each serving size is six ounces and you can choose to have it made with dairy or oat milk. Below is a small portion of a serving I sampled during our interview.
She has selected three craft chocolatiers for you to try:
Dandelion Chocolate (San Francisco, CA)
Askinosie Chocolate (Springfield, MO)
Spinnaker Chocolate (Seattle, WA)
These are all excellent choices, though I had a slight preference for the Dandelion Chocolate sample.
(A poster hanging up at the shop)
Throughout our interview, Barb and I shared stories from our rural upbringings. One moment in particular gave us the best laugh upon learning of an unexpected family connection.
Her dad was a janitor at Little Falls Middle School. My grandfather had been a janitor at the high school. Once I told Barb my grandfather's name, she put it all together. Turns out her father and my grandfather had known each other for years and had been friends well before Barb and I ever met.
Just for fun, here's an old photo of me with my grandparents, Connie (Corinne) and Sub (Sumner) Sabean of Little Falls.
And so our interview ended with many laughs and lots of smiles, and the promise of a return visit to fill up on more goodies.
Just a few ice cream recommendations from our home to yours: my family and I can't say enough good things about Barb's Ruby Roasters decaf Coffee with Almond Toffee. A yummy choice for any coffee lover. Our kids enjoy pairing Fresh Banana with Vietnamese Cinnamon too, and berry-lovers will delight in giving Local Honeyberry & Raspberry Crisp a try.
So, if a cup of warm decadent drinking chocolate and some deliciously creamy handmade ice cream sounds like the perfect pairing to you, then don’t be a stranger. Stop in at Pumphouse Creamery on Chicago Avenue and 47th Street in the Nokomis neighborhood in south Minneapolis at your nearest and next opportunity.
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